“She saw it,” Cooper explained, looking at Merritt. “Before the fire.” The judge didn’t reply. He simply made another note, the words neat and steady: Tag seen before ignition.
During recess, Merritt sat alone at the bench, reviewing the evidence log under the dimmed skylight. Each column of data told the same story: Jacob’s card entered the building at 9:43 p.m., but no exit was recorded. But another entry caught his eye—Admin Access 03.